I just did an MP3 from a .WAV file, did a test by sending it as an attachment in an email to myself. Weeeeeeeeell! It took 45 minutes to send it and another 45 to get the email. Surely, I am doing something wrong. Do MP3s generally take this long to download? This is a 3-1/2 minute song that had a .WAV file of 38,594KB and the MP3 file is 5,252KB. I did this at a compression of 192. Have I done something wrong? I am on a 56K modem. I'm sure this has something to do with it but this long a download!!! Help!

KN6 Guy

You may do it at a compression of 128. So, I think the mp3 file will be 3.000-4.000 kb.
Cheers

The transmit and receive times sound about right for that size of file on a 56K modem. In my experience, a 56K link very rarely operates at 56K, if ever and is often nearer 30K if you are lucky.
Also, bear in mind that there is quite a bit of overhead, in the form of handshaking data exchange, on top of the actual file. If you want to see the effect of this overhead, you can get a rough idea by doing the following. Next time you send an attached file, make a fresh dial-up connection, and when you start the transmission, right click on the little activity icon in the task bar, at the bottom right of the screen and select 'status'. This will open a small window showing file exchange progress. When the transmission has finished, you will see the number of bytes sent which you can compare with the size of the attachment.
I'm looking forward to getting broadband later this year when the powers that be decide to upgrade our local telephone exchange.

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Willum

Thanks Artaher -

Filing it as a 128 is something I considered but reading some of the posts on the forum, it was said to use 192. I will check out the sound quality at 128 and possibly will use it to cut download time.

Hi Willum,

Good hearing from you. When I found out more how this should be done, I was going to send you an email telling you that I was sending you an MP3 when I did one - Remember our discussing it? Does it shorten the time by perhaps sending it as a zip file or is this an error in my thinking? If what I have done is the standard procedure in sending someone an MP3 file, the recipient has to be most understanding. I might ask the question, do many of you on the forum send MP3s through an email? I only did a test of one song - Think how long it would have taken had I sent several songs.

Willum, I have no "little activity icon" in the task bar in the bottom right. (?) Are you up to receiving my MP3 with this download time?

KN6 Guy

I just brought up my MP3 encoder and did a compression of 96 (the lowest setting) on my song in .WAV file. I think it sounds as good or certainly, close to as good as when I did it at a compression of 192. It cut the file more than half, down to a little over 2,000KB from 5,252KB. This is quite a drop from the 38,594KB of the .WAV file.

Artaher, I don't have a setting for 128 compression. I guess some MP3 encoders are designed differently.

KN6 Guy

You could also try converting the MP3 to WMA
(Windows Media Audio) which has an even smaller compression, and some say better quality.

This is easily done in Windows XP, by right clicking on the song and select "Convert To Windows Media Audio"

It saves your original MP3 so you can compare size and sound. Try it

SeeYa
Larry Hawk

Larry,

Does this work using Windows 98? I don't use Windows XP.

KN6 Guy

The 'Little activity Icon' to which I referred in my last posting, is a representation of two computer monitors which flash dark and lght green, when there is activity on your modem.
Send me your MP3 if you wish... no problem with time - I'm on 24/7 account.

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Willum

Hi Willum,

Now I understand the "activity icon in the task bar" - Have checked and you are right. It shows running at 33K modem.

I will soon send you my MP3 song.

Thanks,

KN6 Guy